Apart from being one of the richest entrepreneurs on the planet, the Silicon Valley billionaire and Oracle CEO Larry Ellison is also known as a long-time friend of late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. The two men go a long way back and shared a passion for minimalism, spirituality and unconventional managerial style.

The one notable exception, of course, being Ellison’s penchant for spending his fortunes on expensive yachts and houses and indulging himself in otherworldly pleasures.

So should you be worried after hearing Steve’s personal friend openly suggest that Apple can’t thrive without its legendary co-founder because “we already know” Apple is doomed without Steve because “we conducted the experiment” before?

In a word, no…

Speaking with Charlie Rose in an interview for CBS This Morning, the disillusioned Oracle CEO implied that Apple without Jobs won’t be that different from what happened last time Jobs left the company.

Here’s the quote:

Well, we already know.

We saw – we conducted the experiment. I mean, it’s been done.

We saw Apple with Steve Jobs. We saw Apple without Steve Jobs. We saw Apple with Steve Jobs. Now, we’re gonna see Apple without Steve Jobs.

Check out the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUdYebAN-Fs

What’s up with the finger going up and down?

I guess Ellison didn’t get the memo that there has never been a professional CEO transition at Apple until 2011, when an ailing Jobs – already gravely ill and sensing his days were numbered – recommended to the board that Tim Cook be the next CEO.

I think it’s worth remembering, if only for educational purposes, how Ellison was trying to talk his buddy Jobs into a hostile takeover of Apple back in 1995.

Back then, Ellison’s motive was simple: he’d buy Apple out – the company was back in dire straits and at the brink of bankruptcy – Steve would return to power and both men would make insane profits.

The problem is, Steve wasn’t in it for the money. Steve’s plan was to persuade Apple’s leadership to buy his startup NeXT, which would eventually transpire and bring Jobs back at Apple’s helm.

An excerpt from Walter Isaacson’s bio book on Jobs depicts the key difference between two school of thoughts here. Jobs told Ellison, referring to the deal being worked on, “You know, Larry, I think I’ve found a way for me to get back into Apple and get control of it without you having to buy it.”

Ellison’s responded, “If we don’t buy the company, then how can we make money?”

“Larry, this is why it’s really important that I’m your friend,” Jobs quipped. “You don’t need any more money”.

Long-term vision.

“I think if I went back to Apple and didn’t own any of Apple, and you didn’t own any of Apple, I’d have the moral high ground,” Jobs explained.

Assuming Ellison during today’s CBS interview actually meant to send the message that Apple is doomed, we should ask ourselves: has Larry Ellison ever stopped dreaming about buying Apple?

And what exactly is his motive this time around pooh-poohing on the company his best friend built from nothing, and only now that Steve’s no longer around to respond?

In all likelihood, Ellison in the CBS interview was referring to Apple’s troubled years under John Scully and Gil Amelio, who both have their fair share of blame for nearly destroying the company.

But here’s the catch: unlike Scully and Amelio, Tim Cook is a very competent and efficient manager.

There’s no denying Cook’s a CEO – an Apple CEO – material.

Plus, there’s really no comparing Apple’s current leadership – with each SVP having been secretly groomed for the role for years by Jobs himself – to the management which virtually steered the ship into a destruction after firing the co-founder.

That being said, Ellison’s analogy between then and now is patently wrong.

Steve Jobs so-called wilderness years – a period between his 1985 ouster after an attempted boardroom coup and his return from exile in 1996, was without a question a horrendously difficult and painful period for Apple.

Not just because the board had shown its visionary leader the door, but also because Apple’s corporate culture degraded to the point where depressed management couldn’t figure out how to sell existing products.

The Apple of that time did not have a succession plan, its bench of talents was becoming increasingly shallow and Steve left them no product roadmap to work from. Fast-forward to today and it’s business as usual at Apple.

That’s not saying Apple hasn’t changed in the post-Jobs era, it has.

Apple’s near-death experience has changed the company forever – and for the better. Not only has it instilled the fear of going out of business, the experience has helped articulate Apple’s values a great deal.

These very values are now in Apple’s DNA.

These very values have created and supported an organization which has birthed the iPhone, the iPad, the iMac and many other hit products. Those values and the corporate culture built around them have not died with the passing of one man, Larry Ellison be damned.

Tim Cook is evidently following Steve’s advice – to never ask what Steve would have wanted and instead just do what is right. And although Apple is now being totally unfairly criticized for supposed lack of innovation, the truth of the matter is that the company is just reloading its innovation guns.

Steve left Apple a roadmap of products worth at least five years.

Though Tim Cook lacks Steve’s charisma, he’s his own person and a competent manager – the kind of guy who most certainly knows how to make trains run on time. And that’s precisely what Apple needs between updating existing products and releasing its next big thing.

apple without Steve Jobs is VERY different, but that doesnt mean apple is ”doomed”

Kurt

If it’s “VERY” different then can you explain? People came up to Jobs and told him their ideas about the iphone/iPad and he rejected them Then they tried again and again. Jobs didn’t come up with this stuff.

Sokrates

the different teams are working closer together, there is more cross-divisional effort, public relations are handled more openly, the management team was changed. But at its heart they’re still the same. And that’s what’s most important.

Kurt

He thinks apple was better off. you think Apple is better off now. I agree with you.

JoJo

Exactly! Jobs did not invent the stuf but he had a keen eye for crap and good products. Because he shot their ideas down over and over again they were forced to come up with something better.
Wich lead to the quality Apple products we’ve all come to know and love.

Steve knew what would work and what would not, that made him great. And quite frankly, I dont know if Cook has that same quality, that same drive for perfection.

Gorgonphone

steve jobs was great at spotting great ideas and ensuring their implementation was brilliant

P3

Whatever you say Christian.

Steve is irreplaceable, it won’t be as bad as in the past, but something has changed as Steve is one of a kind and Tim is no Steve Jobs

They aren’t doomed though, but I like how Christian Zibreg had to write this piece, it’s like he had to confirm it himself (and bash Ellison)

Joseph

Christian takes any negative thoughts about Apple and acts as if it was a direct insult to him, instead, as do many Apple fanboys. It’s annoying.

Kurt

Annoying and pathetic

jilex

And stupid

dpacemaker

I love my Apple products, and could care less about what people say about the company, or the people working there. I think it is annoying when people take these things so serious, and its not just Apple fans, but Android as well. As for Apple going out of business, well if they do I will find some other products that suit my needs. We all know that isn’t going to happen. Personally I read the article because I wanted to see what the man said, but I could have done without the rebuttal.

Al

Funny how all the naysayers have already written Apple’s epitaph. But Jobs was a visionary beyond measure. And while Apple will never be perfect,they will continue to innovate.

Joseph

>will continue to innovate
>has made no major change other than the iPhone’s new screen size since Jobs died (the larger screen size wasn’t innovating since all of it’s competition did it)

Please give examples of Apple innovating on the iOS line of devices since the iPhone 4. iOS 7 is not a proper example, either, as that’s a change that people hate and changing the graphics to represent things that resemble multiple themes from Cydia or Android itself is not innovating.

Al

I’m sorry but Apple is more than just iOS. It is the ENTIRE Mac line. The majority of the animated films that you’ve looked at uses Apples/Mac Pro technology. Even with no inprovement over a few years Mac Pro desktop are way ahead of PC’s. But all you see is iOS. Amazing!!

Joseph

Nope, that’s all I wanted to point out. It’s not innovation anymore if it’s not new. The unique design of the Mac Pro is barely new either; Apple did something like that years back and discontinued it.

Sounds like you’re comparing a high end desktop computer to a low end desktop PC. There are several videos on YouTube that show homemade hackintosh/PCs that outperform Mac Pro and cost a fraction of the Mac Pro’s price.

Highest price tag doesn’t imply best performance you know…

Al

What are you talking about? You’re the one doing the comparisons. Money has nothing to do with it.

If so, then on what basis did you come to the conclusion that Mac Pros are way ahead of PCs? Herd master Apple told you? Or did you actually have any non-iTard facts to back it up?

Dan

It’s true, people are always comparing cheap PC to Macs, obviously the Mac comes out on top. I’ve spent over 1500$ on my custom built PC, and I can assure you that it performs as well as a Mac.

Al

Look. What did I say earlier? DisneyPixar, ILM uses MacPros not PCs. And Ive used both before. If I didn’t say it then its not what I said.

Gorgonphone

yes cause IOS is ugly and ipad mini 1 sucked and 5s looks boring etc

Mo Levi

He’s comparing the Apple of the 90′s to the Apple of now. Steve knew he was going to die. He handpicked, and crafted all of the top Apple employees to embody his vision of a successful company that thinks about amazing products first, then profits second.

Gorgonphone

yeah well cook behaved one way in steves face and had other plans in his heart

Pretty sure this is the best and most cohesive article you’ve written, Christian. Kudos. Not saying that only because I agree with the premise and conclusion, but also because it accurately details the correct context in which to view Apple without Jobs then vs. now.

Yes; Steve Jobs was irreplaceable; BUT he built a multi billion dollar rock solid foundation; (the Apple we know today). It’s attracted all the right talent. We can still keep our fingers crossed and hope Tim Cook builds upon that foundation.

Gorgonphone

no tim cook promoted ive bad move and allowed ipad mini1 to have no retina bad move.. and he botched the specs on ipad3

rigaritax

Great post. Congrats

Dr. Joseph S. Curcio

I miss the speed and surprise that Steve Jobs brought to the public with revolutionary ideas, products ahead of time. Now, it seems we know what’s comming but have to wait for the corporation profit timetable before we get what we want at even higher than expected prices.

This may appeal to the Capitalist but not the young free thinkers who deserve it now like Steve Jobs would have given it,
not free, but before it’s time.

Drjoepa

Sokrates

I couldn’t agrree more Mr Curcio.

Gorgonphone

“we know what’s coming but have to wait for the corporation profit timetable before we get what we want at even higher than expected prices.” soooo true

Apple is very money oriented without Steve Jobs, like every other business; customer satisfaction and “WOW” factors died with SJ. They’re probably going to be around for a while, but sooner or later, they’ll begin tumbling down like their fruit mate, BlackBerry, if they don’t develop any “wow” factor.

While I won’t argue they are on the higher end of the pricing scale – I disagree with customer satisfaction and “WOW” ending with Jobs. Want a recent example: The power adapter take back program. Bring in cheap Chinese knock off adapter … get 50% off a new Apple one. They didn’t and don’t have to do this. Sure they may not lose money on the deal, they may even make some and it obviously has benefits to their support team dealing with repair issues – but as a customer it gives a pretty good warm fuzzy as I know there’s not a chance Samsung would do the same thing.

Dr. Joseph S. Curcio

Half Syrian ! Are you for real ? Find another way to express your intellect.
Comments are true expressions of your heart and do an injustice to the objective of these forums.
Drjoepa

quitcherbichinn

and as you have already proven by your earlier comment stating that you “deserve it now”….you are the one lacking intellect. brandon is quite right in his example…and it is exactly that type of action on Apple’s part that gives them the “wow” factor in the eyes of the general public. that type of treatment is why the non-nerds of the world (the majority of their customers) are so impressed with them. for you to comment brandon lacks intellect out of left field just shows how very far up your rectum your head is. get the jaws of life and try a sphincter removal…come out and smell some fresh air and get a clue.

Kurt

Why do you feel the need to put your name down as “Dr.”? Seems quite prideful

Gorgonphone

i dont care how he writes his name ii just wish apple had a better ceo

dpacemaker

Why do you care about Apple? Every comment you’ve made is negative of Apple. If they suck so bad then don’t buy their products.

Gorgonphone

You think and talk like a hormonal woman… Lol i clearly explain every issue i have with apple logically but in female fasion you ignor that and just say how you feel about the reality i discuss lol .. Apple is still the best because of the way steve ran it … Cook sucks and ive sucks at UI design and together they are messing up apple

dpacemaker

You don’t clearly explain anything, you complain like a little bitch. You have no idea what reality is, you have already talked about “facts” that you have no basis on. I have yet to see on any post a comment from you that is positive about Apple and their products, or post anything remotely logical. Are you using iOS 7? If you are and think it sucks then by all means buy Android and go over to Cult of Android and continue your Apple bashing. I could care less what you like, I just don’t understand trolls like you. All you do is talk negative. Go get an education, I can barely read your unpunctuated, horribly spelled posts.

Gorgonphone

lol so typical you want to hear something positive just so you can feel good like a woman..lol sorry girl.. all i have for you is reality .. i refuse to say something fake just so you can lower you midol dosage..

here is way sucks.. you, android and samsung oh and tmobile is on there too

dpacemaker

This is why your a moron. I don’t want you to say something positive. I want to know why you care so much about a company you don’t like. If you don’t like Apple and their products then why do you devote so much time into reading blogs about them and commenting. To me your like a vengeful stalking bitch, you hate something so much you have to know they’re every move. I pity you, and I pity your family for having to deal with you. I pity your parents for producing a waste of a human being.

Gorgonphone

i love apple enough to give them the cold hard troth and tough love they need now… cook sucks ive sucks at UI.. those are facts that you are in denial about.. “hate” thats irrational and emotional, something you and many women do … but i observe analyze quantify and state the truth about things … pity? pity cook and ive fro botching such a great opportunity with such a great company and i pity you for being tok weak to accept reality lol oh and i pity you samsung and android for just sucking so bad

dpacemaker

HAHAHAHAHA, your such a liar. You talk about your college education, your BMW, and all your Apple products. All lies, you can’t even type a legitimate sentence, let alone a coherent thought. I pity you even more for having to lie to try and sound cool. HAHAHAHAHA, get a life, get an education, and get a job. I’m sure my taxes pay for all your Apple toys. I’m sure parents are proud of the disappointment you’ve become in their basement.

Gorgonphone

Yeah well your feelings dont effect the gradual failure of apple, so am not sure I am not authorized to allocate any fvcks to them..lol

dpacemaker

“He went to school for that title.” I put in quotes since we have no idea if he truly has a doctorate degree. Maybe he thinks his comments will be more intellectual and eloquent with the title.

Gorgonphone

I dont cae what he has unless it can help cook and ive to stop messing up apple

That’s no wow factor, IMO, that’s just a company protecting its brand name. Smart move on their end though…

Sokrates

Every company is profit oriented, not excluding Apple with Steve Jobs. Publicly, he could overplay it with his charisma and his vision, but they had just as many investor calls and they just as much cared about the numbers.

Of course they were in business to make money, but every iDevice they released with SJ as CEO came with some wow factor during its time. Nowadays, the wow factor just isn’t there, as technology has exponentially grown and they’re refusing to ride the growth and incorporate the new stable tech into their latest devices…’cause they’ve got enough people that buy it just for the brand’s sake.

iThinkergoiMac

Really? SJ did the job for years, and now that it has been a single year without him Apple has completely lost the wow factor? What did you think would happen once SJ died, that Apple would somehow carry on with no changes at all?

As to refusing to ride the growth, that makes complete sense. Retina MBPs, the redesigned Mac Pro, and their elimination of the optical drive are really old school. Everyone was doing that stuff years ago, Apple is only now catching up. [/sarcasm]

The iPhone 5 was a bigger improvement than people give it credit for, mostly because those improvements are largely internal. Apple has nearly always waited to put good tech in their machines until it’s stable.

If you don’t see the WOW factor, it’s because you don’t want to. There’s some impressive stuff coming out of Apple today.

Gorgonphone

i am a realist and the reality is that even while steve was very ill the power shift in the company was happening and affecting the WOW factor of products.. releasing the ipad mini 1 with no retina from the start was a pure money making bean counter move FACT..

iThinkergoiMac

Fact? Are you privy to Apple’s manufacturing process? How do you know that’s a fact? You could be correct, it could have been a way to make money. It could just have easily have been an issue with manufacturing and form factor. You’re welcome to your opinion, but don’t pass it off as fact unless you’re ready to prove that it’s fact.

Gorgonphone

Lol you deny because this reality makes you sad …. Believe what ever you want but the truth will rule you… Ipad mini 1 with no retina was a great money move and terrible brand move typical tim cook technique

iThinkergoiMac

Tim Cook hasn’t been CEO long enough for there to be a “typical Tim Cook technique”.

When I ask for evidence to support your claim of a fact (one that is widely disputed), your response is “You deny because this reality makes you sad”. You don’t know anything about me. I already admitted that what you said is a definite possibility, but I’m not about to agree it’s a fact without knowing so. Clearly, you don’t have anything to back up your statement other than your own opinion.

It’s not a fact if it’s your opinion. That doesn’t make it less valid, but stop saying it’s a fact unless you can prove it is. I’ll happily accept either option (Apple is nowhere near the first to release a product less than bleeding edge in order to make more money off it, this is standard practice).

Gorgonphone

yeah well he has been there long enough to goof up ipad mini and IOS7 and who now what else he is goofing up right now..

iThinkergoiMac

The iPad mini is one of the best selling iPad models ever. But I guess since you didn’t get everything YOU wanted, then it’s a goof-up. iOS 7 isn’t even released yet, but that’s OK. You KNOW it will be a goof-up. Have you even used it?

Apple is in the business to make money. They always have been and always will be. They’re incredibly good at it. If you don’t like it, that doesn’t change much. Buy something else.

Gorgonphone

apple is only great cause money was not steves primary focus … he made sure that the products were top notch … they sold due to being great .. ipad mini is not great hardware it is a strategically positioned capitals maneuver to capture a segment that is not concerned about great products specs women and kids…

dpacemaker

If it were a “fact” then there wouldn’t be an issue of them possibly not being able to do it this year. While you may be right, i don’t believe you are because the possibility that there won’t be one this year is a good possibility. I have an iPad 2 and I’ve seen Retina iPads, to me it’s not that big of a difference for normal usage. It is only a bragging feature just like a Macbook with Retina.

Gorgonphone

Lol ipad 2 owners always amuse me with their “retina is not that great” atitudes lol just face it you got tricked into buying substandard technology i told everyone to skip the 2 cause its specs were crap and not retina was unacceptable at the time …. And ipad min was just an ipad 2 with a smaller screen sad as hell

dpacemaker

I never said it wasn’t that great. I said it wasn’t much difference to me. That’s my opinion. At least I know the difference between opinion and fact. You have no clue what the facts are.

Gorgonphone

Its a fact that talking about ipad 2 in 2013 is sad… Lol ipad4 or nothing

dpacemaker

I don’t live in my parents basement like you. I have a wife and kids I provide for, so unlike you I have real bills and responsibilities. I make sure my family has what it needs before I get a new iDevice. Good for you that you can buy new toys all the time, it’s going to suck for you when you see how the real world works.

Gorgonphone

yeah well i know soo much about the real word that i specifically avoided wife kids divorce alimony child support and all those expenses so i could have my own place and BMW and all the apple gadgets i want :)… i left moms house at 18 to go to college and never looked back.. i graduated with a 3.7 GPA and have been in my profession for 14 yeas now..

After the first onstage presentation done by someone other than SJ, I expected Apple to change for the worse. And they never surprised me, ’cause that’s what they did.

As @Drjoepa:disqus posted, in a much better way, Steve Jobs brought revolutionary ideas and products ahead of time to the public. Now, it seems we know what’s coming but have to wait for the corporation profit timetable before we get what we want at even higher than expected prices.

Just ’cause SJ was CEO for a longer period, doesn’t mean we should wait for the same period with Tim Cookie. The fact is, tech advances exponentially, not sinusoidally. Now that technology has advanced, they’re no longer bringing any revolutionary stuff to the iOS line, just small increments here and there…’cause again, they’ve got enough people like you to buy it and make them more profit.

iThinkergoiMac

Steve Jobs brought some pretty revolutionary things to market, and he brought many, many more non-revolutionary things to market. For example, the iPhone is both revolutionary and not. It completely revolutionized how we looked at smartphones and brought them into mainstream acceptance and use. It didn’t, however, invent the smartphone.

The last revolutionary thing Steve Jobs brought to the iOS line was the iPad, and that was in April of 2010. The iPhone was the next revolutionary thing before that, introduced in 2007. The iPod was released in 2001. There are some big gaps between these revolutionary things, all under Job’s direction. If you average those gaps, it’s roughly 4.5 years between revolutionary products. That means, if Apple comes up with something revolutionary in September, they’ll be AHEAD of their history with these kinds of things.

People like me? I’m being realistic. EVERY year, people whine and complain that Apple isn’t doing something revolutionary enough. Heck, they said that about the first iPhone. About the iPod. About the iPad. Look at history and learn from it. I fully expect Apple to come up with some more revolutionary stuff, but it can’t be every time they release something.

This whole expectation that Apple HAS to come up with revolutionary stuff is bull. Most of what Apple comes up with isn’t even original, though they end up doing it best. How many improvements in iOS 6 and iOS 7 were inspired by jailbreak tweaks? iTunes, which is considered hugely revolutionary, was bought from another company and built on by Apple.

That doesn’t make Apple any less impressive or important, just look objectively.

Finally, Apple has not always been bringing things to market before their time. Look at 4G. SSDs. USB 3. These are all fantastic technologies that Apple took FOREVER to implement. If that’s too recent, remember PowerPC? Apple stayed with PowerPC for much too long. Apple is a good marketing company, that’s what they do best. Jobs was truly a revolutionary, but not in pushing the limits of technology. If there are limits he pushed, he pushed the limits of human/technology interaction.

Also, we know more about the stuff being released because more people are interested, not because Apple is somehow failing. Remember the iPhone 4 prototype debacle? That was under Jobs too. There’s more demand for this pre-release knowledge, so more gets out.

Gorgonphone

apple needs a leader who is 85% vision and 15% money

Jesse Sipprell

That’s an oversimplification.

Yes, ultimately, a for-profit business is about … profit, of course.

But if your focus is entirely on monetary gain you had better be in the financial services industry or a con artist otherwise you’re doing something wrong.

To be successful you need to focus on *earning* that profit, on bringing actual value to those who give up their own hard earned capital for your goods and/or services.

A (non-financial) business simply cannot be ultimately successful unless they adopt a corporate culture that embraces that principal.

To those who would ask “what about volume?” Volume itself can be a value as it allows you to offer goods and services at prices lower than your competitors. If that’s what your target market wants and that’s how you want to compete then you should make that your core focus: Excellence in low-cost goods.

Success comes from excelling at providing value to your market FIRST and charging for it appropriately SECOND.

Gorgonphone

true

geekinit

I think Apple will be fine. Besides, they could always bring back Woz…

mav3rick

One word: propaganda. Trying to fill the lack of innovation and bringing the real excitement to the users as it was done by Steve Jobs with just big empty words.
There is no big thing without Steve Jobs. As big they are now they need something really big and revolutionary to maintain its status. Without this, with only incremental updates, stretched or cheaper plastic phones, the big downgrade of iOS 7 interface design, sooner, or maybe a bit later because of the wealth accumulated, as any tech company without real innovation it will go downhill.

iThinkergoiMac

Have you used iOS 7? I find the interface design to be, on the whole, an improvement. Remember how long it was between the iPod, iPhone, and iPad, which have been their most “innovative” products (though, really, they were just existing products done better than anyone else had done). It hasn’t been that long since the iPad was released and already people are criticizing Apple for lack of innovation.

Apple will fade eventually, no one can stay at the top for forever, but it’s not going to happen soon. Personally, I’m excited to see what Apple is going to release this year and next.

mav3rick

Cannot even look at iOS7. Got the retina screen to enjoy some very nice eye candy graphics. Not psychedelic fluorescent look with childish icons and sketched buttons coupled with blinding white backgrounds everywhere turning the device into a torch.

You already know for this year: the above iOS7, another stretched iPhone 5 collecting your fingerprints and the cheaper plastic new one. Plus iPad with trimmed screen edges and maybe but mostly not ready for this year iPad mini with retina screen. Does any of these sound the bells of excitement? Not talking about innovation…

Gorgonphone

apple still have the people to do great things but they lack a leader to guid those people.. they need a leader smart enough to know that ive is NOT a UI designer at all

Chindavon

“iOS 7 a big downgrade.” That’s funny. Obviously you’ve never used it. Hard to go back to previous versions after you use it daily.

Joseph

Anyone going against Christian’s and Apple’s propaganda is immediately bashed and called delusional because they have an opinion. Genius.

Obsidian71

Steve Jobs was half Syrian. He was like the half Arab Prodigal son. Perhaps Apple is not meant to survive beyond his zenith. Time will tell Assalamu ‘Alaikum

Gorgonphone

apple is steve.. no Steve means no apple fact.. unless they can find another visionary leader who is not just for the money

Mohammad Ridwan

Chilax Larry, Apple is fine…

Dr. Joseph S. Curcio

Quitcherbitchin & Kurt:
I was responding to the post by Obsidian 71, which I thought was out of place as Steve Jobs was adopted by middleclass working parents and developed into a visionary. I think you may have taken my post out of the time place it was meant for.
I earned my Doctorate in Biochemistry over forty years ago by hard work and sacrifice . Thank you.

Dr. Joseph S. Curcio

This is my picture today 8/12/13.
The profile picture is over Fifty years ago.
I’m 70 now !
Drjoepa

Gorgonphone

apple is not fine…

A B

It’s nice to read all this noise about with & without Steve… We are talking of a corporation and not a small garage company which is solely dependant on one man. Steve will always be missed and is irreplaceable. But he lives on through apple and the culture he built there… And honestly if apple has done no innovation in last 4 years coz competition was playing catch.. Only last year windows and bb finally managed a similar OS… (Though much inferior), and pls bigger screens is not innovation… This industry is so easy to predict… What apple does its aped… When apple is not doing anything suddenly the whole industry stops innovating… All expectations are from apple alone and yet they keep criticising the company… There is zilch expectation from Samsung, HTC or BB or Nokia to innovate… It’s quite clear who is ruling the innovations today…

Gorgonphone

hmmm sounds like this will be the guy to save apple next time they fail.. he will buy out controlling shares in apple and install a proper CEO who knows who to do what steve did..

iThinkergoiMac

You’re implying it’s possible to find another Steve Jobs. Say what you will about the man, he was a once-in-a-century kind of guy. It’s not as simple as you say it is.

Gorgonphone

When and where did i imply or say it would be easy? Lol i never eluded to that all i said was its what they need to survive as the apple we know and love

yeskia

There’s a big difference between ‘innovation’ and ‘implementation’…

Apple implements ideas.

Gorgonphone

they used to have great ideas that were brilliantly implemented

Yujin

Apple without Steve is almost the same, minus arrogance. But cook and co ain’t stupid to let bullies target them.